I finally tried Oko's food on the suggestions of some of my readers. I had the spicy tuna wrap yesterday. I really, really liked it! Even the side salad that came with it had a delicious asian ginger dressing.

Thanks for the recommendation guys! :) I'm looking forward to going back and trying more of their food. They have a very interesting tofu stew on the menu that looks like it will be just the thing to get me through the winter!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The TV show Damages, starring Glenn Close, will
be filming here in Forest Hills on Friday. The signs are up on 71st/Continental
Ave. (from Queens Blvd. to Austin St.), and then all along Austin heading towards
Ascan. I am sure we are all hoping for a "Close call" on Austin St. (Sorry, my friend who tipped me off to this really wanted me to fit that pun in somewhere! :)

This past Sunday I finally visited the Occupy Wall Street encampment down at Liberty Square. It was really great to finally see it for myself, especially after hearing all the disparaging rumors about it. I wasn't surprised to find the rumors are completely false. The encampment is pretty clean, for instance. It isn't unsanitary from what I can see. Also, the mood was pretty much one of peaceful coexistence -- or at least using peaceful methods to overturn a system the protesters believe has become unjust.

There are indeed a ton of sleeping bags. But interestingly, you never feel really crowded while you are walking around. The paths are pretty wide and everything is very well organized.

Overall, I highly recommend you take the E train down to the WTC and see if for yourselves. The people are for the most part pretty friendly and happy to explain to you what they are doing there.

I really found it fascinating how they have created for themselves a mini-city. As you walk around you see all the different parts that are needed for a self-sustaining community to operate, from First Aid, to a clothing shop, a kitchen, to even a growing library!

Here's some photos I took. I'll post some short videos in the next day or so as well.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The comment posted on this blog back on Oct. 10th has been confirmed! The popular pizza place Gloria's Pizza, which used to be in Flushing, is indeed moving into the space next to the Midway Theater. And boy, Gloria's seems to have a lot of devotees! I am really looking forward to trying it when it opens in a couple of months.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The game is on! Sushi Yasu's recent move from Yellowstone Blvd. to the space formerly occupied by the make-your-own salad place Energy Green (in the lower level of the Austin St. Mall), has taken the local Sushi Wars up a notch.

Not that we ever lacked for sushi. In fact, Forest Hills very well may have more pieces of sushi per capita than any other neighborhood in New York City.

Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But we do indeed have a whole lot of Sushi to choose from.

Here are just a few of the sushi places I know about:

Jade, at Station Square

Moca, on 70th Road

Suhsi Oh! on Austin

Sushi Yasu in Austin St. Mall

And I know there are plenty of others... My personal favorites are Jade and Moca. Let me know what other sushi places you like and maybe I'll post a Sushi Wars poll to see who emerges the ultimate people's choice!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

By a 67 – 23 percent margin, New York City voters agree with the views
of the Wall Street protesters and say 87 – 10 percent that it is “okay that
they are protesting,” according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

New York City voters say 72 – 24 percent, including 52
– 41 percent among Republicans, that if the protesters obey the law, they can
stay as long as they wish.

A total of 72 percent of voters say they understand
the protesters’ views “very well” or “fairly well,” with 17 percent who say
“not too well” and 10 percent who say “not well at all.”

Voters split 46 – 45 percent in their approval of the
way police are handling the Wall Street protest, but approve 61 – 33 percent of
how the police are doing their job overall.

“It’s a
free country. Let them keep on
protesting as long as they obey the law, New Yorkers say overwhelmingly,” said
Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “Critics complain that no one can figure out
what the protesters are protesting. But
seven out of 10 New Yorkers say they understand and most agree with the anti-Wall
Street views of the protesters.

“For a while,
the critics focused on the cops’ use of pepper spray at the protests. Voters are divided on how police are handling
the protesters, but they say almost 2-to-1 that police are doing a good job
overall.”

Asked
who is to blame for the current state of the nation’s economy;

·37 percent of New York
City voters blame the administration of former President George W. Bush;

·21 percent blame Wall
Street and financial institutions;

·18 percent blame
Congress;

·11 percent blame President Barack Obama.

New
York City voters support 61 – 28 percent an extension of the state’s so-called
‘Millionaire’s Tax.’ Even Republicans
support the extension 55 – 38 percent.

Voters
also support 73 – 19 percent, including 48 – 40 percent among Republicans,
tougher government regulation of banks and Wall Street firms.

“New
Yorkers, even Republicans, back the Wall Street protesters on at least two
things they’re talking about, a get-tough attitude toward banks and Wall Street
and continuation of the state’s ‘Millionaire’s Tax,’” Carroll said.

From October 12 – 16, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,068
registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. Live
interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The
Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts
public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for
research.

By the way, don't forget to vote in our own local poll about this:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5582719/"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;What do you think of the Occupy Wall Street Movement? (choose all that apply)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Ok, I really am not a zombie person, or a vampire person for that matter. I just don't get the whole zombie and vampire craze. Seems like there is another movie about these ghouls every other month. Having said that, however, I do have to say that The Walking Dead is probably one of the absolute best shows I have ever watched.... ever... in all eternity.

Every episode just zips by and I am on the edge of my seat almost every freakin' minute of it. This past Sunday's was an extra long hour and a half season premier and the damn thing felt like it was about 5 minutes long.

What is it about this show? Like I said, I am not a zombie person. I am just not excited by the concept of people coming back from the dead and then lumbering about. Always found it rather silly. And I am almost extremely squeamish. I often close my eyes at any gore in a movie or TV show. So what is it about The Walking Dead? It's the characters and the script. What a novel concept? A TV show where you actually really, really care about what happens to the characters! Go figure.

Never, since maybe the recent Battlestar Galactica, have I been this floored by a TV show. Long Live Zombies!

My E train was stopped for a while at 14th St. last Friday and lo and behold, I received a text from a friend! And what's more, I was able to text him back and tell him I was running a bit late! And... the signal was actually really strong.

Little did I know that 14th St. is the first subway station in the city to have cell phone service. The City is gradually rolling it out to more and more stations... It's about time!

Monday, October 17, 2011

The smart money says the U.S. economy will splinter, with some states thriving, some states not, and all eyes are on California as the nightmare scenario. After a hair-raising visit with former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who explains why the Golden State has cratered, Michael Lewis goes where the buck literally stops—the local level, where the likes of San Jose mayor Chuck Reed and Vallejo ﬁre chief Paige Meyer are trying to avert even worse catastrophes and rethink what it means to be a society.

If you get a chance, I really recommend reading it.... Aside from just being a great read that is enormously absorbing, it is really eye-opening and gives you a whole other level of perspective on the economic crisis facing the U.S..

Sunday, October 16, 2011

One of the best things about living in Forest Hills is its proximity to the major NYC airports. Since I have to travel fairly often for work, when I moved to Forest Hills I was thrilled to discover that I could get to LaGuardia in about 5 minutes and JFK in about 20 or so on a good day. What a luxury -- especially after having lived in SoHo in Manhattan, where it could take like an eternity to get to the airports!

I've always loved going to the airport, something I just kind of picked up when I was a kid. It was such a thrill to go to Kennedy. for instance, which I associated with a feeling of international excitement that was so missing from the sleepy Long Island town where I was living. And, of course, I also always associated my trips there with either going away on a vacation or having my grandmother or other family members or friends come to visit.

So when I heard that Open House NY was opening the landmarked TWA terminal at JFK for a few hours to the public this Sunday, I jumped at the chance to once again visit this famous, wing-shaped building that I knew so well from my childhood. After all, in recent years, I've only recently gotten a chance to see the inside of it in some movies, like Catch Me If You Can, for instance.

The terminal, which is now a historical landmark, was designed by Eero Saarinen and opened in May 1962. It was used until 2001, when American Airlines bought out TWA. Since then it has only really been in use for occasional special events -- such as parties and movie shoots. But it could possibly reopen as a boutique hotel in the near future.

Whatever happens to it, its landmark status prevents it from being demolished or altered in any significant way.

Here are some photos and a short video I shot at today's event. Hopefully it will bring back some memories for some of you. I myself can still see, like it was yesterday, my grandmother waving goodbye as she entered the famous red-carpeted tunnel to catch her next flight.

Friday, October 14, 2011

New York, Oct. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's first lady Chow Mei-ching told stories about the Chinese Zodiac and a folktale to children at a library in the borough of Queens in New York Thursday, and showed them how to find out their personal zodiac signs. Telling stories to children has become one of Chow's favorite activities during visits to foreign countries. In New York, where she arrived the previous day for a five-day visit, the wife of President Ma Ying-jeou made no exception. At the library in Forest Hills, Chow introduced how the Chinese zodiac was formed. To attract the kids to pay attention, she also taught them how to fold an origami mouse, the first of the 12 animals of the zodiac.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

So what if summer 2011 just ended?! It's never too early to start thinking about next summer (my very favorite season, after all)... And here to get you in the mood, the first trailer of Summer 2012! (In which some evil villain does some rather despicable things to our lovely city, I might add.)

An interesting development today as the City says the protesters will no longer be allowed to use tents, sleeping bags or other equipment in the park where they have been encamped up until now. I don't see how they are going to be able to maintain their 24 hour vigil there without such equipment. I didn't know that the park is privately-owned, which is why these regulations can be enforced. So, it looks like they may have to move to a public location... maybe Battery Park?

Want to dedicate a few hours of community service? Queens Boulevard Restoration Group & In Our Back Yard (IOBY.org) need volunteers to help clean the tree-lined medians of Queens Blvd in Forest Hills and Rego Park. Help restore the medians along Queens Blvd from 78th Ave to 63rd Dr, & make our community shine while helping the environment!

When -- Saturday, October 15, 2011, 9:00 AM -3:00 PM. Meet at 8:30 AMWhere -- Meet in MacDonald Park on Queens Blvd & 70th Rd, Forest HillsWater, gloves, t-shirts, and lunch will be provided. Pitch in for as long as you want!

To sign up or for more information, please e-mail info@queensblvd.org or call (917) 558-3802. Please bring your friends, neighbors, family, & help spread the word.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

NEW YORK, NY, Oct 11, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The average sales price of a New York City home increased by eight percent in the third quarter of 2011 to $780,000 compared to the same time last year, according to a report released today by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). Brooklyn gained the most value with an eight percent increase to $589,000, followed by Manhattan with a five percent increase to $1,393,000. Queens had a one percent increase to $399,000 and the Bronx had a less than one percent gain at $350,000 since last year.

Although the total dollar value of New York City residential sales transactions was up 8.41 percent from the second quarter to $8.04 billion, the total dollar value was down 3.89 percent from last year. Additionally, even though the number of residential sales citywide was up four percent to 10,308 homes since last quarter, it was down 11 percent since the same time last year. These year-on-year decreases are mainly due to the first time home buyer tax credit closing deadline being extended into the third quarter of 2010, which caused a sales surge that quarter.

"The modest increase in the volume of sales citywide since last quarter and the rise in average sale price since last year are positive signs for the residential market," said Steven Spinola, REBNY president. "The weak state of the national economy, the tumultuous credit and equity markets, and the disarray in the European economies are factors that we must be concerned about as we move forward. Nevertheless, the New York City housing market has steadied and we are seeing a solid foundation on which to build a stable, stronger market."

Manhattan neighborhoods with the most sales activity this quarter were the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side with 723 sales and 647 sales, respectively. These two neighborhoods each had more sales than the entire borough of Staten Island which had 545 home sales. Most notably the average sales price of a condominium in Chelsea/ Flatiron during the third quarter increased 16 percent compared to last quarter and 16 percent compared to the third quarter of last year to $2,081,000.

Queens neighborhoods had more residential sales than Brooklyn and Bronx. Queens neighborhoods with the most sales were Flushing with 338 sales and Rego Park/ Forest Hills/ Kew Gardens with 303.

Brooklyn residential sales activity was focused in Williamsburg with 235 sales, Park Slope with 187 and Bedford Stuyvesant with 164.

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Wall St. Journal and Curbed report this building, which we believe is the one that houses the Tung Shing House chinese restaurant, is being converted into luxury rentals by the LeFrak family, in their first project in Queens in nearly three decades.